Quebec’s caribou population is in decline and has been for years, with logging being the principle cause.
While Quebec’s caribou herds may be in difficulty in the wild, the provincial government has announced that 15 fawns were born in captivity installations in the Charlevoix and Gaspé regions this year.
The fawns and their mothers are doing well, according to a Quebec environment ministry communiqué.
A total of 18 female caribou were recorded as being pregnant this spring, 11 in Charlevoix and seven in Gaspé. All gave birth, but three of the fawns did not survive.
Quebec also has a captivity installation in Val-d’Or, but no females there became pregnant.
The new arrivals bring to 39 the number of caribou in Charlevoix and 19 in the Gaspé. There are no fawns, but there are five male and four female caribou at the Val-d’Or installation.
Quebec’s caribou population is in decline and has been for years, with logging being the principle cause. Roads made by logging companies shrink the caribou’s habitat and give natural predators such as wolves or bears easier access to the herds.